Adoption: The Egan Family

Please tell us about yourself.

Dan: Family Practice physician

Kristin: homemaker, artist

Kids: Ben 18, Hannah 16, Emmaline 13, Matthew 6, Gabriel 6.

Currently in the process of adopting a sibling group from Haiti. Esther 10, Tanette 9, Davidson 2

We love Haiti and it’s people. We work with “Haitian Roots” a non-profit group sponsoring kids in school in Haiti.

When/why did you decide to adopt?

First adoption: We had some neighbors that helped build an orphanage in Haiti. After seeing a picture presentation of their trip, we instantly felt very strongly that we needed to adopt from Haiti.

Current Adoption: Like many others, my husband and I felt compelled to adopt again after the earthquake. (He was with a group of physicians that traveled to Haiti a couple days after the quake)

Do you have any biological children?

We have 3 biological children.

Whom did you adopt, and from where?

Twin boys. We found out about them by accidentally calling a stateside coordinator of an orphanage located in Port au Prince, Haiti. I asked if they had any babies? She said they currently had 45 in the orphanage. I asked if they had any twins. She said they had boys born 10 days ago. I called my husband and told him of the boys. We felt strongly (again) that they were to be our boys. We called her back and told her we wanted to adopt them. Our adoption journey began.

What was their name, and did you rename them?

Their names were James and Jameson. (Twins in Haiti are commonly named something very similar). We wanted to keep their Haitian names, but they were too similar. We kept them as middle names and named them Gabriel James and Matthew Jameson.

Current adoption: We will keep their names as they are.

What has been the most surprising aspect of adoption?

I had hoped rather than known that we would feel the same intense love for these children as we did for our bio kids. After our first visit to Haiti to meet our sons (they were 2 ½ months) we found that it was just the same. After our first moments together we felt that same intense love and bond to them that we had for our other children. I guess what was surprising is that other people that we spoke to about this afterwards didn’t seem to believe or understand that this would be possible.

We also have a really good relationship with our twin’s birth parents. I especially feel a great love for their birth mom. That has surprised me. I never thought we would feel such a connection. I didn’t really expect to even know her. It will be a rewarding relationship that will benefit my boys.

Current adoption: We have both met and spent a small amount of time with Esther, Tanette and Davidson. Dan traveled in April to Haiti with Haitian Roots. He met them at that time. I traveled to Haiti in June with my oldest son. We spent a couple of days with the kids. We again feel a great love for these kids. We worry more, knowing that things won’t go as smoothly as they did with our little boys. These kids have a lot more to deal with than just being adopted. This is where it is important to be educated about what kind of things we can do to help these kids heal. 

What has been the most disappointing?

I guess the most disappointing and disheartening thing was how long the process took. We were actually very lucky. We were able to bring our boys home at 9 1/2 months. That time felt like an eternity while we were in the middle of it.

What has been the most gratifying?

Seeing how well our boys have done. They came home at nine months not being able to crawl, eat solid food etc. They had no fine motor skills. With some attention and a little work they quickly caught up to age level abilities. They are currently happy, healthy little first graders.

I have loved to see them bond with our family and extended family. Our bio kids have created loving and fun relationships with both of them. We have been really lucky. We haven’t had any attachment or any other difficult issues to deal with.

I also love the way adopting from Haiti has opened my bio kids eyes to the conditions of the world. They have been caught up in our family’s desire to try to help Haiti and it’s people. I hope it has made them look outside themselves more than your typical teens.

Did any organization or agency really help you get through the process, financially, emotionally, or otherwise?

We used Wasatch International Adoptions. Mostly people who had adopted before from Haiti or who were in the adoption process with us offered us emotional support.

What advice would you give people who are considering adoption?

If you feel strongly about it…Do it. But make sure you go into it with your “eyes wide open”. Be prepared and knowledgeable about what things you may expect.

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